Morgan's Bio Wiki! :) Homework Post 1!: Stem Cells; The Real Enemy of Cancer?
For as long as I can remember, I remember hearing about radiation and chemotherapy being the 'answer' to cancer. I also remember hearing about how doctors were so confused about how the cancer kept coming back. This is because in 2006 research was finally confirmed to link stem cells to cancer. Scientists discovered that stem cells can in fact become cancer cells. Stem cells are what scientists believe to be the cause of cancer returning in so many patients. Cancer treatment just doesn't treat cancer stem cells. Stem cells divide asymmetrically producing one daughter cell, and a cell called the progenitor. The progenitor divides more rapidly, therefore causing cancer stem cells to multiply and bring back tumors. The treatment normally used for cancer does not target these cells. The problem with stem cells can disguise themselves as regular cells, so the problem then presents itself. How do we kill one cell without killing the other when they are so similar?
Pilcher, H. (2006, Novemeber 25). The traitors within. News Scientist, 2579, 48-51
Individual post #1!!
Hybrid Animals?
Have you ever thought about how weird it is that some animals can mate with other species? This year in our school agendas, one of the intresting facts said that sheep and goats can mate and that they are in fact called Geep! What is that! This of course made me want to figure out why they could mate like that! I found that there are lots of other strane animal hybrids! In May 1985, a dolphin in a Hawian sea park gave birth to a Wholphin, half killer whale, and half dolphin! Most hybrids cannot mate, but this offerspring could infact, and has offerspring that are still living today! The Wholphin has 66 teeth, where a killer whale has 88, and a dolphin has 44. But this isn't the only weird animal hybrids out there! there have been many Ligers, Zorses, and Savannah cats, which are house cats and a serval! Isn't that crazy! But my question is, why can some animals hybrid, with success, and some not? Why can't (not saying that I want it to!) humans hybrid with other species?
Many zoos in fact have gotten in trouble for cross-breeding. Yes, it's quite a marvel, but the thing is, that it just doesn't happen in nature very often. In fact, it mostly only happens in captivity. Also, many offspring don't make it into adulthood or are born with sever genetic disorders.
The thing is though, these hybrids can go terribly wrong. Ever heard of the Killer Bees? Yeah, that's a hybrid mistake, a BIG one! Unlike most hybrids, the Killer Bees, were very able to attack, and actually kill about two humans in the U.S every year! Does that make it wrong? Should these experiments not be made because it's against the grain, because its unnatural? Who gets to make that
decision?
I hear a lot of people, especially adults, talk about how mental illness is all in the hands of the victim. How they choose to be depressed, how their anxiety is their fault. This is untrue. Mental illness began to be reserached not that long ago, before it wasn't reconized as an illness. In the short time we've been researching mental ilness, we've made crazy progress. Neurotransmitters are chemical releases in our brains that send messages. Scientists have found over 50 different kind of neurotransmitters, and have also found that the lack of or too many of certain neurotransmitters are directly linked to mental illness. Our brain requires a certain balance, like fluid in a car, to keep it running. Dopamine, Serotonin, Norepinephrine, and GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) have all be found to play a role in mental illness. Neurotransmitters can always change in different stages in our lives, that's why people can develop mental illness such as depression. Like a car, when we experience certain things in our lives, our neurotransmitters can over heat. Serotonin for example is linked to depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphic disorder (nose doesn’t look perfect after ten surgeries), social anxiety, phobias, etc. Serotonin regulates many bodily functions such as sleep and sexual interest. When we experience long period stress, we overuse or serotonin. Our serotonin can only replace itself so fast. We can have different stagess of lowness in our serotonin. The longer we are in these stressful situations,the more likelier it is for this to happen. When we are 'one third' low, we begin to experince the symptoms of stress-produced depression. We become forgetful, unorganized, we can't concentrate or pay attention to anything. As our serotonin continues to decrease we experience loss of sleep, loss of appitite, mood swings, etc. The list goers long and long.
These neurotransmitters though, are clearly related to mental illness, and prove, that not always is it our mindset, that in fact, its a chemical imbalance.
We've all heard that our skin cells rapidly replace themselves. We have multiple layers of skin, and as the top layers get old are skin cells will reproduce and create a new layer. Ever since we started cells in science, in grade nine, or whenever that is, I remember thinking how weird it is we got rid of our whole skin, we replaced our outer shell all the time. We defiantly aren't the same as we were in grade nine! Nope! That skin is a goners!
When I thought of shedding of animals I never thought that in fact, these animals too are shedding their skin, they're replacing their outer shell in a way.
Snakes for starters actually grow out of their skin, and that's why they shed. It is said that before a snake molts, it'll actually feel insecure, and hide. These snakes are also blinded for a few days before the molt. The snake skin loosens at the mouth first and the snake will often move through rough surfaces to remove it's skin. Adult snakes do this 2-5 times a year, where a younger snake will do it quite regularly because they are still growing.
Frogs and other amphibians actually shed their skin very regularly. They actually eat their skin though!
Penguins also molt, about once a year for most penguin species, and normally after mating season. But others like the Galapagos molt two times a year. During this molting process the penguins grow new feathers underneath the old. The old feathers don't fall out until they new is fully in place. This process depending on the type of penguin can take anywhere from 13 days to 34 days! Imagine waiting, and picking at your skin for a month! A month trying to get it off! During these days penguins can't get in the water because without the feathers to protect and keep them warm it'd be a loosing battle.
It always interests me how intertwined we are to animals. We are animals really. ReallyReally! Included a video of a frog eating it's skin! It isn't the most clear, but still cool!
The Killer: Cholera is defined by Princeton Wordnetweb as an ‘acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food’. Cholera is caused by a bacterium called binrio cholerae. This bacterium is mostly contained by intake of contaminated water with human feces. It can also be transmitted in contaminated food, especially raw and undercooked food, most likely seafood and shellfish.
Once this bacterium is taken it in, it settles in the lining of the small bowel or intestine. Some bacteria die or are swept out, but it can hang around for a week or two. While there, it releases a toxin that can cause the body to flush its fluid to the small bowel creating diarrhea, and also dehydrating the body.
The diarrhea can drain the body very quickly of water, salts and minerals.
Effects from the bacteria can start 1-3 days later.
Symptoms:
Diarrhea (main symptom)
Muscle Cramps
Little or none Urination
Weakness
Low Pulse
Sunken-Looking Eyes
Wrinkled Skin on Fingers
Cholera usually lasts 3-6 days.
If not treated it can cause:
Dehydration
Kidney Failure
Coma
Death
Who’s Affected?:
This disease is mostly a problem in developing nations that don’t have sewage plants and plumbing.
Many people get the bacteria but don’t have any symptoms.
In high risk countries a lot of adults grow antibodies which help to protect.
Children however are much more likely to get the symptoms.
Also, people with low stomach acid are at a higher risk.
Current Outbreak:
Cholera started to take hold ofHaitiafter the earthquake of last year.
One of the main aftermath issues of the earthquake was the lack of clean water, nowhere had clean water, making this outbreak inevitable.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population since the earthquake 440, 000 people have gotten this disease. That’s nearly 5% of the population! And it’s killed over 6, 300 people!
Recent months have been better for the disease, it was finally settling down. Sadly, the rainy season brought it back and it now has spiked.
Officials say that it’ll only get worse as 600, 000 people are still living in tents since the earthquake, and only 17% of the whole population has access to a latrine.
This outbreak in Haiti is bad, but it only seems to be getting worse.
When I was little, I used to get hiccups all the time. My grandmother used to tell me someone was thinking about me, the same way she told me someone was thinking bout me when my nose was itchy. Then I was later told that hiccups were caused by a lack of oxygen in our brains. I still get the hiccups all the time, does that mean my brain is lacking oxygen constantly? What really causes the hiccups?!
Hiccups are defined by a contraction in the diaphragm without conscious effort. This contraction is caused by a different contraction of a phrenic nerve.
Our throat leads to two different passages. One in which the food and liquids makes it way down, and the wind pipe where the oxygen is lead to our lungs. Our brain decides which way the substances will go depending on what we are consuming.
Hiccups occur when our brain gets confused and is unable to send the signal properly and the food enters the windpipe. We feel something blocked making our breath shorter and uncomfortable. This quick movement causes the vocal chords to close causing the sound.
Hiccups are mostly caused by eating too fast and our brain not having time to send the proper signals. But it can also be caused by stress, carbonated beverages, nerve damage, anesthesia and alcoholism, among others.
In fact fetuses can actually have hiccups too!
There are lots of home remedies for curing hiccups!
Holding your breath
Ice water
Eat sugar
Drink water upside down
Eat peanut butter.
SCARING!
In my own opinion I think they just have to be waited out! I've heard cases where people have lived with hiccups for years! Glad that isn't me!
Here's a short clip about a guy who has to stop his life for hiccups!
Every year millions of people try to commit suicide around the world. Almost one million a year die. Suicide has become the 11th biggest killer of Americans, and is the 3rd in 15-24 year olds. Each suicide that happens affects at least 6 other people. In the U.S. the suicide rate is still rising hugely.
Many people suffer from depression and have suicidal thoughts, it has been a mystery why some people can go through with it and some people can’t. Recent research has told us that we think fearlessness. When people deal with abuse from themselves or from others, their brain gets used to it. They get used to being uncomfortable, and therefore can deal with the discomfort of taking their lives. On the flipside it could also be that our impulse control can be spurred by substances such as alcohol.
I’ve heard so many times that people who commit suicide are in fact selfish, and wrong. Scientists are redefining suicide though. ‘The body and mind are so damaged by stress that it leads to self destruction; it’s not really a choice.’ said Edmund Ramsden.
Suicide isn’t only found in humans, it has been discovered in animals too. In 1845 a black Newfoundlanddog was seen trying to drown itself. The dog had been acting severely depressed for a couple of days and was seen jumping in the water and not moving so it would drown. The dog was fished out and tired up. Every time the dog was let off the rope it tried again before it finally succeeded.
Suicide is something we all need to beware of, we all need to learn about in order to understand it. Scientists still don't have all the anwsers, how this came to be, how it continued to grow as a problem, but we really do need to address it.
Some common untrue assumptions:
People who talk about suicide do not commit suicide.
Suicidal people are absolutely intent on dying.
Suicide happens without warning.
Once a person is suicidal they always are suicidal.
Suicidal Tenderizes:
Withdrawn behavior.
Psychiatric illness
Alcoholism
Anxiety and panic
Change in personality, such as: irritability, pessimism, depression or apathy.
Change in eating or sleeping.
Earlier suicide attempt
Self hatred, feeling guiltily, worthless, loneliness, helplessness and hopelessness.
Major loss in their lives.
Family history of mental illness.
Repeated conversation about death.
Reaching out:
Listen, be calm.
Empathize.
Express respect opinions and values of the person.
Talk honestly and genuinely.
Show concern, care and warmth.
Focus.
Suicidal rates, are continuously rising. And we are the only ones who can help!!!!!!!!!!!
Finding Nemo is one of my favorite movies of all time. And Nemo and Marlin are great characters. After watching the movie I became very interested in clown fish, and actually found out they are quite the interesting fish!
They normally found in warm waters. The Pacific Ocean, the Red sea and the Indian Ocean are some of the homes of these hilarious fish. They are very active and cheerfully colored, giving them their name. In fact, clown fish are so active because they are extremely territorial and are very aggressive.
Most clown fish lives in Sea Anemones. The anemone and the fish work hand in hand, both giving and taking from each other. The anemone provides protection for the fish, is used for daily bread, and the fish will also finish off its left overs. The clown fish keeps the anemone free of dead tentacles by eating them and it helps it get its food by luring food with its bright colors.
Most people don’t know this, but the clown fish actually has the ability to switch its sex. These fish have a hierarchy going. They have one reproducing female and mating male. Below are non-mating males. If the female is to die, the male turns into a female and chooses a partner.
In the movie Finding Nemo, Marlin is extremely distraught about loosing his wife. In most Disney movies, of course this would be upsetting. But in the real world, not all animals actually form bonds with their mates. Clown Fish actually do form really strong bonds with their mates.
There are many different kinds of clownfish, the black clownfish, Cinnamon clownfish, Carkii clownfish, Pink Skunk Clownfish, and many others. All in all, Clown Fish are pretty cool!
INTERESTING FACTS!
I found a lot of interesting things I thought would make great wiki posts, but some i just couldn't get enough of, so they're getting their own section!
Sebaceous Glands are small glands in our skin. The glands deposit an oily substance the gland produces is released on the hairs, this is called sebum. These glands are found on every part of our body that contains hair and even some that don't. These glands start forming when you're about four months old in the womb. In these glands specialized secretory cells. These cells absorb lipids from the body and disintegrate into the glands. This is when the cells become sebum. Basically our cells throw out certain fats and unused debris of our body onto our cells. That is the oily substance of our hair.
This substance is in fact really healthy for our hair, and the process is healthy for our bodies in general. In our society it is unaccpectble to not wash your hair, but in reality, our hair requires the oils in order to be healthy.
This happens to a lot of bodily funcitons. Our body is manufactured to work by its self, sometimes it doesn't need help!
Stem cell research is a hotly debated subject. Some people see it as completely and utterly morally wrong, while others thrive for the idea of all the possibilities stem cells have. I believe there is a line, and my judgment on the research of stem cells in somewhere in the middle. I know many people who suffer from diseases that could be cured by stem cells, and that excites me. I also don’t want human life to be made solely to be killed.
Stem cells that are left over from IVF clinics, I believe should most defiantly be used for research. These cells are only going to get thrown out which is wrong when they could better the lives of others. I also know that this needs to be at the consent of the parents. Some people find it weird which is completely understandable but if it were me, I would want them to be used for good. I also believe that stem cell lines that are previously created (also called existing stem cell lines, or ESC) should also be used for research. I however in no way am comfortable with the idea of women and men being paid for sperm and eggs to make zygotes for stem cell research. I don’t necessarily believe that a zygote is a human life, but it has the potential to be a human life. It’s different with the stem cells that were made for to be implanted, they had a purpose, they served it, and now they can be given to research. But these zygotes made only for research were nothing, but by being created it gave them potential. They could have been something, someone. And that I think is wrong. We’re making the potential of life, only to kill it.
Therapeutic cloning is one of the many ways we could better human life, and one I fully agree with. Burn victims, people who need transplants, the list goes on and on of people who could benefit from this part of stem cell research. However reproductive cloning is something I don’t see as being useful or right. For one, it’s completely unnatural, and just the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach. In some ways, I can see reproductive cloning of animals beneficial, but in humans it just scares me. For animals there’s the thought of more food, the thought of getting rid of growth factors in animals to create more meat and food for just in general more animals. But in fact I think that in both animal and human reproductive cloning, that the outcome that will come will only cause more chaos than its worth. The moment we start to consider this type of research as being acceptable, the moment more people are alone in their basements creating mini-me’s.
The government must control this research, it needs to be watched. But I’m not sure the government should fund stem cell research with tax payer dollars only because I don’t think many people agree with it. There are many things we could be donating our money to, like third world countries that have people starving to death, and lots of other things that are just as important that don’t get any funding from our governments.
Every time I see someone in a wheel chair from accidents though, I think about the mice with spinal chord injuries that could walk with the use of stem cells. How amazing would that be? Or those who suffer from diabetes, how incredible would it be for that burden to be lifted from their shoulders? The possibilities of stem cell research are endless, and they get me incredibly excited. But at the same time, I think we all need to take a step back and realize the weight of this research. It’s huge and in many ways, it’s scary. The government needs to hear every voice out on this one, there needs to be some kid of law for this research. We need to watch it, to take care of it. The possibilities of this research have possibilities of tearing this world apart and the possibilities to build us up.
Aulakh, R. (Photographer). (n.d.). Australia’s stem cell research stifled by red tape . [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://topnews.net.nz/reports/212343-australia-s-stem-cell-research-stifled-red-tape PERSONAL POST #8 -WE'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM BY NOT BEING THE SOLUTION, Currently in the horn of Africa, we’re having the worst drought since the drought in Chinain 1958. In China between ten and thirty million people in two years. Currently in Somolia twelve million people are people are suffering so greatly. So far 750,000have already died. Half of which are children, claims the UN. How many times a day do you eat? How many times do you or your parents go to buy food every day? How much do you spend on food, when thousands are dying all around us? Malnutrition is the condition when your body does not get enough nutrients. Inadequate diet is one of the main causes of this, but it can come anywhere. Most times it happens to people in developing nations because they only get access to one type of food. Malnutrition can cause mental and physical disabilities, and illness and in the end death. But right now what;s going on in Somalia is these people are dying from not having food at all., These children, these people are dying because they don’t have something we are so unappreciative of. The UN has started to relieve this drought, but just for the next three months, over 300 million dollars is required to feed these people. How can we not feel convicted to change our world? May we move for these people.
Desperate: Seven-month-old Mihag Gedi Farah weighs just 7lbs and was hours from death after arriving at a field hospital in Dadaab, Kenya
Human catastrophe: A malnourished child waits to be admitted to Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu. Aid agencies have been unable to gain access to some of the worst-hit people in Somalia
This book starts out with the outbreak of Marburg, and is soon followed with the outbreak of Ebola Sudan. It in detial describes how the diseases spread.
I really found this part of the book intresting. It was actually my favorite part of the book. I'm really intrested in medicine, and how it interlinks with everything, and this book is a great example of that. Charles Montet was just a regular man. He didn't live any different then a lot of people. And like a lot of people he liked to exdplore, and explored Kithum Cave. I myself have been to caves in Ontario and found this very relatable. I'm not dying from Marburg. Yes, Ontario is a little different then Africa, but they're both caves. It's crazy to think about how things fall together. How Africa has thousands of viruses living right in there rain forest. We have some similiar enviromental aspects. Do we have unknown viruses in our enviroment, like Africa? If not, why is Africa different?
I guess I really liked this part of the book becasue I found it very relatable. It was easy to question, to look deeper at. I really enjoyed that aspect of it.
The Hot Zone, Part Two!
My favorite part about part two is how much things have changed. We've gone from this weird outbreak of this unknown disease to so much more. I love the views into the people's lives that deal wtih these diseases. I've never really thought about how actual people with families and lives, study these diseases, It's crazy. When Nancy thought she got infected, it kind of made me think about all the other things. I want to be a doctor when I get out of high school and I want to spend as much time as possible in other countries. It made me put myself in these shoes. How crazy and how important the work of these people is every single day. How one thing can trigger so many different things. Makes you wonder about how the world works together. Like it reacts to itself. I believe this world will take care of itself, as long as we don't kill it before it has time to react. Look at how much it's been through. Our world is a warrior, and all these little diseases, and viruses, they're all so small in the scheme of things. These are lives, and real problems, but there's got to be something more in all of it. The world's doing something with it.
Personal Post #9!!! It's In My Brain?
I've learned over the last year how being informed about something can make a huge difference. Knowing what something is, knowing what causes it. Especially in the medical field. I've always been interested in learning the facts, learning why something happens and the effects it has on the body.
Brain aneurysms however are something so much different to research. They are formed by artery junction points becoming weak in the brain causing the ballooning effect of the blood and making the vessel wall that can form the aneurysm. These sac-like areas can leak and rupture which is where the danger of them lie. Aneurysms by themselves aren't all that damaging, but a ruptured aneurysm can be deadly, within minutes.
Aneurysms cane caused by a few different things. High blood pressure, trauma, heredity, and abnormal blood flow. There are others though, drug use, especially cocaine can cause artery walls to inflame and weaken to form the aneurysm. Mycotic aneurysms are caused by infections in the artery walls.
Heredity of brain aneurysms is only recently being studied and developed. Normally aneurysms are hereditary because of pre-existing diseases, such as polycystic kidney diseases, Ehler-Danlos syndrome and Pseudxanthoma elasticum.
There are different types of aneurysms are berry, dissecting, saccular and fusiform.
Aneurysms can go a very long time with out producing any problems or symptoms. But if the aneurysm gets big enough it can cause headaches, numbness and weakness of the face, dilated pupils or changes in vision. Normally when an aneurysm is leaking it causes the 'worse headache imaginable', and can cause vomiting.
The biggest problem is when they repute, they can cause strokes or immediate death. About 10% of patients with a ruptured aneurysm die before receiving medial care. If untreated another 50% die within a month. Normally unaware of the killer in their brain., they'll have a headache, then maybe get sick, and can go into seizures. When all of this occurs, the blood in the brain can cause irreversible brain damage, causing a brain dead patient before medical help is even received. The fact that brain aneurysms can go so long without being felt or noticed, and can rupture so quickly is what makes them so deadly. Not only the serve risk of brain damage, but there is a significant risk of an artery spasm leading to stroke.
This part of the book starts out with the team including Jerry Jaxx going into the monkey house with the team. This actually terrifies me, to think about going into a house filled with diseased raging monkeys? Not my idea how to spend the day!
The next part talks about Nancy Jaxx getting her children ready for school. I think the author goes into such amazing detail about the life of the Jaxxs to make the audience realize that these people that were risking their lives for the research and safety of the world, they were humans too. They were just like us. They were regular people risking their lives. This makes the impact of how serious this disease, this pandemic was. How all of them are. A lot of time when we hear about science we separate ourselves from it, but we as a human race, are all effected, and should be.
Reading about the monkeys being put to death was hard for me. Partially because they'd suffered for so long. I know that animals are used to help research of these diseases, it's sad to see that so many died without even cause. It's crazy how fast and serious these things are. It's crazy that had that disease made it back out into the open thousands could have died.
We're one lucky race that Ebola hasn't yet become smart enough to advance in our society the way it could. The way it acts fast, is horrible for it's victim but lucky for the rest of us. You need to be close to the per on when it liquifies and the disease comes out of the pores, it isn't like a cough or a sneeze, it doesn't linger or fly long enough. It's weird to look at a virus like this and to say we're lucky. To say despite it's best efforts, it can't advance in us like it should, or wants to. We're lucky.
It would have been terrifying to been in that monkey house when the news broke out that it could be airborne. They suspected it, but to have what they thought was an example. That is crazy, would have been absolutely terrifying. To have that fear instilled, I'm sure that was so scary.
After the monkey escaped when Jerry talks about how he's not in control, they aren't in control, they're just a long for the ride, I think a portion of our life is like that. Sometimes we just need to let go, and allow ourselves to just go along with the ride.
The Hot Zone-Part 4-Kitum Cave
My favourite part of this part is the description of the mountain. For the rest of the book, this mountain is seen as the awful place this virus came from, but the description given in this part of the book shows the beauty of it. I think the way the book ended gives you that kind of peace. But with the peace was a disturbance. The Ebola virus along with many other crazy viruses, they are always there. The amount of bacteria on your hands, on your keyboard, everything. It's the same with viruses. they're everywhere. It's like after reading a book like this it's such a wakeup call. We're so unaware that we aren't the only things 'in charge' of this planet that it's crazy. We obviously aren't in charge, and never were. Viruses like this should tell us that. Biology, science in general, should tell us that, and that's why I'm so drawn to it.
When reading this book, I thought about how crazy this virus was. How big the outbreaks have an effect on the whole world. But I couldn't help thinking about it in a pass tense. It was hard to read this book and realize that these outbreaks still happen. So I did some research to kind of wake myself up. In 2011 we had a case of Ebola in Uganda, in 2007-2008 in Uganda also, there was actually a new strain of Ebola found. Ebola-Bundibugyo infected 131 people, and killed 42. It had a 37% death rate. This has the only outbreak of this strain. It's crazy that there are still other strands being created, being found out as we speak. they think that it is now being traced back almost every time to the monkeys. The most recent countries to experience outbreaks are, Phillippines, Uganda, Gabon, Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo. All of these countries are in warmer places, but also, Uganda, Congo are developing nations. Do you think if these people had the knowledge about cooking their meat there would be less outbreaks? Most of the outbreaks i looked over included monkeys which people in these places actually eat. These people eat the monkey meat which is infected with Ebloa, and it spreads to hundreds of people. All because one meat wasn't cooked right. This does happen today, but not like it does in these places. When we have undercooked meat, it make one or two of us sick. When they have undercooked monkey it can kill many. In the epidemic in Sudan in 2004 was linked back to the monkey. But these epidemics aren't always linked back to monkeys, sometimes they don't know where it came from at all.
The other day in class we talked about the bird flu in class. when Ebola hit, everyone was sure it could be the end of the world. It's a very deadly virus, and this virus it will be a hundred times worse if it mutates. If the ebola virus had of been able to spread better, it could have killed a hundred times more then it did. Now this bird flu, is in our watch. Because we know that virus and bacteria can mutate to be very dangerous to us. They want to hurt us. So what do we do? We synthesize it! We make the one thing that ould kill thousands upon thousands of us. As if it wasn't scary enough as it is. That's what our world is facing today. We're playing god in the worst way. This book made me realize how all these little viruses and bacterium out there, they could come to get us at any point. Any point at all. Right now most diseases are hitting those who are less knowledgeable, less hygiene, everything. How do we know where our next virus hits? Maybe it'll be in our over washed, over scared society? Who knows? How do we find balance?
World Health Organization . (2007). Weekly epidemiological record. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/wer/2005/wer8043.pdf
Homework Post 1!:
Stem Cells; The Real Enemy of Cancer?
For as long as I can remember, I remember hearing about radiation and chemotherapy being the 'answer' to cancer. I also remember hearing about how doctors were so confused about how the cancer kept coming back. This is because in 2006 research was finally confirmed to link stem cells to cancer. Scientists discovered that stem cells can in fact become cancer cells. Stem cells are what scientists believe to be the cause of cancer returning in so many patients. Cancer treatment just doesn't treat cancer stem cells. Stem cells divide asymmetrically producing one daughter cell, and a cell called the progenitor. The progenitor divides more rapidly, therefore causing cancer stem cells to multiply and bring back tumors. The treatment normally used for cancer does not target these cells. The problem with stem cells can disguise themselves as regular cells, so the problem then presents itself. How do we kill one cell without killing the other when they are so similar?
Pilcher, H. (2006, Novemeber 25). The traitors within. News Scientist, 2579, 48-51
Individual post #1!!
Hybrid Animals?
Have you ever thought about how weird it is that some animals can mate with other species? This year in our school agendas, one of the intresting facts said that sheep and goats can mate and that they are in fact called Geep! What is that! This of course made me want to figure out why they could mate like that! I found that there are lots of other strane animal hybrids! In May 1985, a dolphin in a Hawian sea park gave birth to a Wholphin, half killer whale, and half dolphin! Most hybrids cannot mate, but this offerspring could infact, and has offerspring that are still living today! The Wholphin has 66 teeth, where a killer whale has 88, and a dolphin has 44. But this isn't the only weird animal hybrids out there! there have been many Ligers, Zorses, and Savannah cats, which are house cats and a serval! Isn't that crazy! But my question is, why can some animals hybrid, with success, and some not? Why can't (not saying that I want it to!) humans hybrid with other species?
Many zoos in fact have gotten in trouble for cross-breeding. Yes, it's quite a marvel, but the thing is, that it just doesn't happen in nature very often. In fact, it mostly only happens in captivity. Also, many offspring don't make it into adulthood or are born with sever genetic disorders.
The thing is though, these hybrids can go terribly wrong. Ever heard of the Killer Bees? Yeah, that's a hybrid mistake, a BIG one! Unlike most hybrids, the Killer Bees, were very able to attack, and actually kill about two humans in the U.S every year! Does that make it wrong? Should these experiments not be made because it's against the grain, because its unnatural? Who gets to make that
decision?
Resources:
Wicker, A. (2010). Wholphins, ligers, and other crazy animals hybrids. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/25/wholphins-ligers-and-othe_n_731790.html
Vrey, C. (2011). Top ten hybrid animals. Retrieved from http://listverse.com/2011/05/02/top-10-hybrid-animals/
Individual Post #2!
I hear a lot of people, especially adults, talk about how mental illness is all in the hands of the victim. How they choose to be depressed, how their anxiety is their fault. This is untrue. Mental illness began to be reserached not that long ago, before it wasn't reconized as an illness. In the short time we've been researching mental ilness, we've made crazy progress.
Neurotransmitters are chemical releases in our brains that send messages. Scientists have found over 50 different kind of neurotransmitters, and have also found that the lack of or too many of certain neurotransmitters are directly linked to mental illness. Our brain requires a certain balance, like fluid in a car, to keep it running. Dopamine, Serotonin, Norepinephrine, and GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) have all be found to play a role in mental illness. Neurotransmitters can always change in different stages in our lives, that's why people can develop mental illness such as depression. Like a car, when we experience certain things in our lives, our neurotransmitters can over heat.
Serotonin for example is linked to depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphic disorder (nose doesn’t look perfect after ten surgeries), social anxiety, phobias, etc. Serotonin regulates many bodily functions such as sleep and sexual interest. When we experience long period stress, we overuse or serotonin. Our serotonin can only replace itself so fast. We can have different stagess of lowness in our serotonin. The longer we are in these stressful situations,the more likelier it is for this to happen. When we are 'one third' low, we begin to experince the symptoms of stress-produced depression. We become forgetful, unorganized, we can't concentrate or pay attention to anything. As our serotonin continues to decrease we experience loss of sleep, loss of appitite, mood swings, etc. The list goers long and long.
These neurotransmitters though, are clearly related to mental illness, and prove, that not always is it our mindset, that in fact, its a chemical imbalance.
Carver, J. (2002). The “chemical imbalance” in mental health problems. Retrieved from http://www.drjoecarver.com/clients/49355/File/Chemical Imbalance.html
Image:
Dynamic Health Resources (Artist). (2011). Serotonin: is a neurotransmitter. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.dynamichealthresources.com/id2.html
Individual Post #3!! Let's just get new skin?
It always interests me how intertwined we are to animals. We are animals really. Really Really!
Included a video of a frog eating it's skin! It isn't the most clear, but still cool!
Picture:
http://www.galenfrysinger.com/penguins.htm
Resources:
Sea World. (2002). Physical: characteristics. Retrieved from http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/penguins/physical.html
Everest Nutrition Corp. (2011). Molting: in birds, snakes, krill and more. Retrieved from http://krilloil.com/molting-in-birds-snakes-krill-and-more.html
Video:
TRohr. (Producer). (2009). White's: tree frog shedding (hd). [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0pqAoSuIws&feature=player_embedded
Individual Post #4!
The Water Killer!!!
The Killer:
Cholera is defined by Princeton Wordnetweb as an ‘acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food’.
Cholera is caused by a bacterium called binrio cholerae. This bacterium is mostly contained by intake of contaminated water with human feces. It can also be transmitted in contaminated food, especially raw and undercooked food, most likely seafood and shellfish.
Once this bacterium is taken it in, it settles in the lining of the small bowel or intestine. Some bacteria die or are swept out, but it can hang around for a week or two. While there, it releases a toxin that can cause the body to flush its fluid to the small bowel creating diarrhea, and also dehydrating the body.
The diarrhea can drain the body very quickly of water, salts and minerals.
Effects from the bacteria can start 1-3 days later.
Symptoms:
Who’s Affected?:
This disease is mostly a problem in developing nations that don’t have sewage plants and plumbing.
Many people get the bacteria but don’t have any symptoms.
In high risk countries a lot of adults grow antibodies which help to protect.
Children however are much more likely to get the symptoms.
Also, people with low stomach acid are at a higher risk.
Current Outbreak:
Cholera started to take hold ofHaitiafter the earthquake of last year.
One of the main aftermath issues of the earthquake was the lack of clean water, nowhere had clean water, making this outbreak inevitable.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population since the earthquake 440, 000 people have gotten this disease. That’s nearly 5% of the population! And it’s killed over 6, 300 people!
Recent months have been better for the disease, it was finally settling down. Sadly, the rainy season brought it back and it now has spiked.
Officials say that it’ll only get worse as 600, 000 people are still living in tents since the earthquake, and only 17% of the whole population has access to a latrine.
This outbreak in Haiti is bad, but it only seems to be getting worse.
Resources:
Postmedia Network Inc. (1996). Cholera. Retrieved from http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=31&channel_id=1020&relation_id=70907
Direct Relief. (2011). Cholera: outbreak response - haiti. Retrieved from http://www.directrelief.org/EmergencyResponse/2010/HaitiCholera.aspx?gclid=CMfurZiR9qsCFcECQAodUUlHGw
Picture:
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/75119/20101023/haiti-cholera-world-health-organization-us-center-for-disease-control-unicef.htm
Individual Post 5!
THE HICCUPS!
When I was little, I used to get hiccups all the time. My grandmother used to tell me someone was thinking about me, the same way she told me someone was thinking bout me when my nose was itchy. Then I was later told that hiccups were caused by a lack of oxygen in our brains. I still get the hiccups all the time, does that mean my brain is lacking oxygen constantly? What really causes the hiccups?!
Hiccups are defined by a contraction in the diaphragm without conscious effort. This contraction is caused by a different contraction of a phrenic nerve.
Our throat leads to two different passages. One in which the food and liquids makes it way down, and the wind pipe where the oxygen is lead to our lungs. Our brain decides which way the substances will go depending on what we are consuming.
Hiccups occur when our brain gets confused and is unable to send the signal properly and the food enters the windpipe. We feel something blocked making our breath shorter and uncomfortable. This quick movement causes the vocal chords to close causing the sound.
Hiccups are mostly caused by eating too fast and our brain not having time to send the proper signals. But it can also be caused by stress, carbonated beverages, nerve damage, anesthesia and alcoholism, among others.
In fact fetuses can actually have hiccups too!
There are lots of home remedies for curing hiccups!
Holding your breath
Ice water
Eat sugar
Drink water upside down
Eat peanut butter.
SCARING!
In my own opinion I think they just have to be waited out! I've heard cases where people have lived with hiccups for years! Glad that isn't me!
Here's a short clip about a guy who has to stop his life for hiccups!
Majeed, M. (2011). Science: behind hiccups. Retrieved from http://www.medic4health.com/2011/07/science-behind-hiccups/
A.D.A.M. Inc. (2011). Hiccups. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003068.htm
BBC. (Producer). (2010). Chris's: story - the man who can't stop hiccupping - preview - bbc one. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMQT9fALIPs
Individual Post #6!
Every year millions of people try to commit suicide around the world. Almost one million a year die. Suicide has become the 11th biggest killer of Americans, and is the 3rd in 15-24 year olds. Each suicide that happens affects at least 6 other people. In the U.S. the suicide rate is still rising hugely.Many people suffer from depression and have suicidal thoughts, it has been a mystery why some people can go through with it and some people can’t. Recent research has told us that we think fearlessness. When people deal with abuse from themselves or from others, their brain gets used to it. They get used to being uncomfortable, and therefore can deal with the discomfort of taking their lives. On the flipside it could also be that our impulse control can be spurred by substances such as alcohol.
I’ve heard so many times that people who commit suicide are in fact selfish, and wrong. Scientists are redefining suicide though. ‘The body and mind are so damaged by stress that it leads to self destruction; it’s not really a choice.’ said Edmund Ramsden.
Suicide isn’t only found in humans, it has been discovered in animals too. In 1845 a black Newfoundlanddog was seen trying to drown itself. The dog had been acting severely depressed for a couple of days and was seen jumping in the water and not moving so it would drown. The dog was fished out and tired up. Every time the dog was let off the rope it tried again before it finally succeeded.
Suicide is something we all need to beware of, we all need to learn about in order to understand it. Scientists still don't have all the anwsers, how this came to be, how it continued to grow as a problem, but we really do need to address it.
Some common untrue assumptions:
Suicidal Tenderizes:
Reaching out:
Suicidal rates, are continuously rising. And we are the only ones who can help!!!!!!!!!!!
O'Hanlon, L. (2010). Animal: suicide sheds on human behavior light. Retrieved from http://news.discovery.com/animals/animal-suicide-behavior.html
Springen, K. (2010). Daring: to die. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=daring-to-die
World Health Organizatio. (2000). Preventing: suicide a resource for primary health care workers. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mental_health/media/en/59.pdf
MacDonald, B. (Designer). (2011). Retrieved from http://dragonentertainmentgroup.blogspot.com/2011/04/suicide-awareness-week-april-10-15th.html
Personal Post #7!
Marlin, Marlin, Tell us a Joke!
Finding Nemo is one of my favorite movies of all time. And Nemo and Marlin are great characters. After watching the movie I became very interested in clown fish, and actually found out they are quite the interesting fish!
They normally found in warm waters. The Pacific Ocean, the Red sea and the Indian Ocean are some of the homes of these hilarious fish. They are very active and cheerfully colored, giving them their name. In fact, clown fish are so active because they are extremely territorial and are very aggressive.
Most clown fish lives in Sea Anemones. The anemone and the fish work hand in hand, both giving and taking from each other. The anemone provides protection for the fish, is used for daily bread, and the fish will also finish off its left overs. The clown fish keeps the anemone free of dead tentacles by eating them and it helps it get its food by luring food with its bright colors.
Most people don’t know this, but the clown fish actually has the ability to switch its sex. These fish have a hierarchy going. They have one reproducing female and mating male. Below are non-mating males. If the female is to die, the male turns into a female and chooses a partner.
In the movie Finding Nemo, Marlin is extremely distraught about loosing his wife. In most Disney movies, of course this would be upsetting. But in the real world, not all animals actually form bonds with their mates. Clown Fish actually do form really strong bonds with their mates.
There are many different kinds of clownfish, the black clownfish, Cinnamon clownfish, Carkii clownfish, Pink Skunk Clownfish, and many others. All in all, Clown Fish are pretty cool!
Aquaticcommunity. (2004). Clownfish. Retrieved from http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/clownfish/
Disney/Pixar. (Photographer). (2003).
Nemo: the clownfish movie star
. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://seawayblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/clownfish-are-facing-extinction-because.html
Lirette, P. (Photographer). (2010).
Malaysian: Sipadan island submarine photography
. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.7easylife.info/wonderful-world/malaysian-sipadan-island-submarine-photography.html
INTERESTING FACTS!
I found a lot of interesting things I thought would make great wiki posts, but some i just couldn't get enough of, so they're getting their own section!
Sebaceous Glands are small glands in our skin. The glands deposit an oily substance the gland produces is released on the hairs, this is called sebum. These glands are found on every part of our body that contains hair and even some that don't. These glands start forming when you're about four months old in the womb. In these glands specialized secretory cells. These cells absorb lipids from the body and disintegrate into the glands. This is when the cells become sebum. Basically our cells throw out certain fats and unused debris of our body onto our cells. That is the oily substance of our hair.
This substance is in fact really healthy for our hair, and the process is healthy for our bodies in general. In our society it is unaccpectble to not wash your hair, but in reality, our hair requires the oils in order to be healthy.
This happens to a lot of bodily funcitons. Our body is manufactured to work by its self, sometimes it doesn't need help!
Prime Health Channel. (2011). Sebaceous: glands – location, functions and pictures. Retrieved from http://www.primehealthchannel.com/sebaceous-glands-location-functions-and-pictures.html
Clarke, J. (2009). How: often should you wash your hair?. Retrieved from http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/scalp-care/tips/how-often-wash-hair1.htm
Homework Post : Stem Cell Rearch
Stem cell research is a hotly debated subject. Some people see it as completely and utterly morally wrong, while others thrive for the idea of all the possibilities stem cells have. I believe there is a line, and my judgment on the research of stem cells in somewhere in the middle. I know many people who suffer from diseases that could be cured by stem cells, and that excites me. I also don’t want human life to be made solely to be killed.
Stem cells that are left over from IVF clinics, I believe should most defiantly be used for research. These cells are only going to get thrown out which is wrong when they could better the lives of others. I also know that this needs to be at the consent of the parents. Some people find it weird which is completely understandable but if it were me, I would want them to be used for good. I also believe that stem cell lines that are previously created (also called existing stem cell lines, or ESC) should also be used for research. I however in no way am comfortable with the idea of women and men being paid for sperm and eggs to make zygotes for stem cell research. I don’t necessarily believe that a zygote is a human life, but it has the potential to be a human life. It’s different with the stem cells that were made for to be implanted, they had a purpose, they served it, and now they can be given to research. But these zygotes made only for research were nothing, but by being created it gave them potential. They could have been something, someone. And that I think is wrong. We’re making the potential of life, only to kill it.
Therapeutic cloning is one of the many ways we could better human life, and one I fully agree with. Burn victims, people who need transplants, the list goes on and on of people who could benefit from this part of stem cell research. However reproductive cloning is something I don’t see as being useful or right. For one, it’s completely unnatural, and just the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach. In some ways, I can see reproductive cloning of animals beneficial, but in humans it just scares me. For animals there’s the thought of more food, the thought of getting rid of growth factors in animals to create more meat and food for just in general more animals. But in fact I think that in both animal and human reproductive cloning, that the outcome that will come will only cause more chaos than its worth. The moment we start to consider this type of research as being acceptable, the moment more people are alone in their basements creating mini-me’s.
The government must control this research, it needs to be watched. But I’m not sure the government should fund stem cell research with tax payer dollars only because I don’t think many people agree with it. There are many things we could be donating our money to, like third world countries that have people starving to death, and lots of other things that are just as important that don’t get any funding from our governments.
Every time I see someone in a wheel chair from accidents though, I think about the mice with spinal chord injuries that could walk with the use of stem cells. How amazing would that be? Or those who suffer from diabetes, how incredible would it be for that burden to be lifted from their shoulders? The possibilities of stem cell research are endless, and they get me incredibly excited. But at the same time, I think we all need to take a step back and realize the weight of this research. It’s huge and in many ways, it’s scary. The government needs to hear every voice out on this one, there needs to be some kid of law for this research. We need to watch it, to take care of it. The possibilities of this research have possibilities of tearing this world apart and the possibilities to build us up.
Aulakh, R. (Photographer). (n.d.). Australia’s stem cell research stifled by red tape . [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://topnews.net.nz/reports/212343-australia-s-stem-cell-research-stifled-red-tape
PERSONAL POST #8 -WE'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM BY NOT BEING THE SOLUTION,
Currently in the horn of Africa, we’re having the worst drought since the drought in Chinain 1958. In China between ten and thirty million people in two years. Currently in Somolia twelve million people are people are suffering so greatly. So far 750,000 have already died. Half of which are children, claims the UN. How many times a day do you eat? How many times do you or your parents go to buy food every day? How much do you spend on food, when thousands are dying all around us?
Malnutrition is the condition when your body does not get enough nutrients. Inadequate diet is one of the main causes of this, but it can come anywhere. Most times it happens to people in developing nations because they only get access to one type of food. Malnutrition can cause mental and physical disabilities, and illness and in the end death. But right now what;s going on in Somalia is these people are dying from not having food at all.,
These children, these people are dying because they don’t have something we are so unappreciative of. The UN has started to relieve this drought, but just for the next three months, over 300 million dollars is required to feed these people. How can we not feel convicted to change our world? May we move for these people.
A.D.A.M. Inc. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001441/
Longbottom, W. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2019268/Mihag-Gedi-Farah-Haunting-face-East-Africa-drought-baby-Mihag-hours-death.html
The Hot Zone, Part one!
This book starts out with the outbreak of Marburg, and is soon followed with the outbreak of Ebola Sudan. It in detial describes how the diseases spread.
I really found this part of the book intresting. It was actually my favorite part of the book. I'm really intrested in medicine, and how it interlinks with everything, and this book is a great example of that. Charles Montet was just a regular man. He didn't live any different then a lot of people. And like a lot of people he liked to exdplore, and explored Kithum Cave. I myself have been to caves in Ontario and found this very relatable. I'm not dying from Marburg. Yes, Ontario is a little different then Africa, but they're both caves. It's crazy to think about how things fall together. How Africa has thousands of viruses living right in there rain forest. We have some similiar enviromental aspects. Do we have unknown viruses in our enviroment, like Africa? If not, why is Africa different?
I guess I really liked this part of the book becasue I found it very relatable. It was easy to question, to look deeper at. I really enjoyed that aspect of it.
The Hot Zone, Part Two!
My favorite part about part two is how much things have changed. We've gone from this weird outbreak of this unknown disease to so much more. I love the views into the people's lives that deal wtih these diseases. I've never really thought about how actual people with families and lives, study these diseases, It's crazy. When Nancy thought she got infected, it kind of made me think about all the other things. I want to be a doctor when I get out of high school and I want to spend as much time as possible in other countries. It made me put myself in these shoes. How crazy and how important the work of these people is every single day. How one thing can trigger so many different things. Makes you wonder about how the world works together. Like it reacts to itself. I believe this world will take care of itself, as long as we don't kill it before it has time to react. Look at how much it's been through. Our world is a warrior, and all these little diseases, and viruses, they're all so small in the scheme of things. These are lives, and real problems, but there's got to be something more in all of it. The world's doing something with it.
Personal Post #9!!!
It's In My Brain?
I've learned over the last year how being informed about something can make a huge difference. Knowing what something is, knowing what causes it. Especially in the medical field. I've always been interested in learning the facts, learning why something happens and the effects it has on the body.
Brain aneurysms however are something so much different to research. They are formed by artery junction points becoming weak in the brain causing the ballooning effect of the blood and making the vessel wall that can form the aneurysm. These sac-like areas can leak and rupture which is where the danger of them lie. Aneurysms by themselves aren't all that damaging, but a ruptured aneurysm can be deadly, within minutes.
Aneurysms cane caused by a few different things. High blood pressure, trauma, heredity, and abnormal blood flow. There are others though, drug use, especially cocaine can cause artery walls to inflame and weaken to form the aneurysm. Mycotic aneurysms are caused by infections in the artery walls.
Heredity of brain aneurysms is only recently being studied and developed. Normally aneurysms are hereditary because of pre-existing diseases, such as polycystic kidney diseases, Ehler-Danlos syndrome and Pseudxanthoma elasticum.
There are different types of aneurysms are berry, dissecting, saccular and fusiform.
Aneurysms can go a very long time with out producing any problems or symptoms. But if the aneurysm gets big enough it can cause headaches, numbness and weakness of the face, dilated pupils or changes in vision. Normally when an aneurysm is leaking it causes the 'worse headache imaginable', and can cause vomiting.
The biggest problem is when they repute, they can cause strokes or immediate death. About 10% of patients with a ruptured aneurysm die before receiving medial care. If untreated another 50% die within a month. Normally unaware of the killer in their brain., they'll have a headache, then maybe get sick, and can go into seizures. When all of this occurs, the blood in the brain can cause irreversible brain damage, causing a brain dead patient before medical help is even received. The fact that brain aneurysms can go so long without being felt or noticed, and can rupture so quickly is what makes them so deadly. Not only the serve risk of brain damage, but there is a significant risk of an artery spasm leading to stroke.
Wedro, B. (2011). Brain aneurysm. MedicineNet, Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/brain_aneurysm/article.htm
UCLA. (n.d.). Intracranial aneurysms. UCLA Health
System, Retrieved from http://www.aneurysm-stroke.com/ic-aneurysm.php
The Hot Zone-Part 3-Smashdown
This part of the book starts out with the team including Jerry Jaxx going into the monkey house with the team. This actually terrifies me, to think about going into a house filled with diseased raging monkeys? Not my idea how to spend the day!
The next part talks about Nancy Jaxx getting her children ready for school. I think the author goes into such amazing detail about the life of the Jaxxs to make the audience realize that these people that were risking their lives for the research and safety of the world, they were humans too. They were just like us. They were regular people risking their lives. This makes the impact of how serious this disease, this pandemic was. How all of them are. A lot of time when we hear about science we separate ourselves from it, but we as a human race, are all effected, and should be.
Reading about the monkeys being put to death was hard for me. Partially because they'd suffered for so long. I know that animals are used to help research of these diseases, it's sad to see that so many died without even cause. It's crazy how fast and serious these things are. It's crazy that had that disease made it back out into the open thousands could have died.
We're one lucky race that Ebola hasn't yet become smart enough to advance in our society the way it could. The way it acts fast, is horrible for it's victim but lucky for the rest of us. You need to be close to the per on when it liquifies and the disease comes out of the pores, it isn't like a cough or a sneeze, it doesn't linger or fly long enough. It's weird to look at a virus like this and to say we're lucky. To say despite it's best efforts, it can't advance in us like it should, or wants to. We're lucky.
It would have been terrifying to been in that monkey house when the news broke out that it could be airborne. They suspected it, but to have what they thought was an example. That is crazy, would have been absolutely terrifying. To have that fear instilled, I'm sure that was so scary.
After the monkey escaped when Jerry talks about how he's not in control, they aren't in control, they're just a long for the ride, I think a portion of our life is like that. Sometimes we just need to let go, and allow ourselves to just go along with the ride.
The Hot Zone-Part 4-Kitum Cave
My favourite part of this part is the description of the mountain. For the rest of the book, this mountain is seen as the awful place this virus came from, but the description given in this part of the book shows the beauty of it. I think the way the book ended gives you that kind of peace. But with the peace was a disturbance. The Ebola virus along with many other crazy viruses, they are always there. The amount of bacteria on your hands, on your keyboard, everything. It's the same with viruses. they're everywhere. It's like after reading a book like this it's such a wakeup call. We're so unaware that we aren't the only things 'in charge' of this planet that it's crazy. We obviously aren't in charge, and never were. Viruses like this should tell us that. Biology, science in general, should tell us that, and that's why I'm so drawn to it.
When reading this book, I thought about how crazy this virus was. How big the outbreaks have an effect on the whole world. But I couldn't help thinking about it in a pass tense. It was hard to read this book and realize that these outbreaks still happen. So I did some research to kind of wake myself up. In 2011 we had a case of Ebola in Uganda, in 2007-2008 in Uganda also, there was actually a new strain of Ebola found. Ebola-Bundibugyo infected 131 people, and killed 42. It had a 37% death rate. This has the only outbreak of this strain. It's crazy that there are still other strands being created, being found out as we speak. they think that it is now being traced back almost every time to the monkeys. The most recent countries to experience outbreaks are, Phillippines, Uganda, Gabon, Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo. All of these countries are in warmer places, but also, Uganda, Congo are developing nations. Do you think if these people had the knowledge about cooking their meat there would be less outbreaks? Most of the outbreaks i looked over included monkeys which people in these places actually eat. These people eat the monkey meat which is infected with Ebloa, and it spreads to hundreds of people. All because one meat wasn't cooked right. This does happen today, but not like it does in these places. When we have undercooked meat, it make one or two of us sick. When they have undercooked monkey it can kill many. In the epidemic in Sudan in 2004 was linked back to the monkey. But these epidemics aren't always linked back to monkeys, sometimes they don't know where it came from at all.
The other day in class we talked about the bird flu in class. when Ebola hit, everyone was sure it could be the end of the world. It's a very deadly virus, and this virus it will be a hundred times worse if it mutates. If the ebola virus had of been able to spread better, it could have killed a hundred times more then it did. Now this bird flu, is in our watch. Because we know that virus and bacteria can mutate to be very dangerous to us. They want to hurt us. So what do we do? We synthesize it! We make the one thing that ould kill thousands upon thousands of us. As if it wasn't scary enough as it is. That's what our world is facing today. We're playing god in the worst way. This book made me realize how all these little viruses and bacterium out there, they could come to get us at any point. Any point at all. Right now most diseases are hitting those who are less knowledgeable, less hygiene, everything. How do we know where our next virus hits? Maybe it'll be in our over washed, over scared society? Who knows? How do we find balance?
World Health Organization . (2007). Weekly epidemiological record. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/wer/2005/wer8043.pdf
Kelland, K. (2011). Creating a super-contagious mutant version of bird-flu may have been a bad idea, who warns. National Post, Retrieved from http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/12/30/creating-a-super-contagious-mutant-version-of-bird-flu-may-have-been-a-bad-idea-who-warns/
Goverment of Uganda . (2007). Uganda: Disease outbreak in bundibugyo confirmed as ebola. Retrieved from http://www.reliefweb.int/node/250647
CDC. (2011). Known cases and outbreaks of ebola hemorrhagic fever, in chronological order . Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/ebola/ebolatable.htm
http://www.thebigwobble.com/2011/05/ebola-pending-epidemic-update-new-cases.html